post by another member (I can't remember who) in a completely different context a while ago. We were discussing Edmund's apparent stupidity or being blinded by love. And she said, "He's so human."

That stuck with me somehow. Maybe JA wanted to create a character that we all as omnipotent observers cringe at, but whose character in the end is all too human. People don't always do the "right" thing or the most logical thing. And here JA has really outdone herself in creating Edmund as a human being with errors.